Guinness nod for researcher who travelled to all 57 Hyderabad metro stations in record time

Hyderabad: A Delhi-based academic researcher and Metro rail enthusiast, Shashank Manu, has recorded the world’s fastest time to travel to all Hyderabad Metro stations and set a Guinness World Record.

In 2 hours, 41 minutes, and 31 seconds, Shashank visited all 57 stations in three corridors of the Hyderabad metro, becoming the first to hold this record. He previously held the record for the fastest time to travel all Delhi Metro stations.

“I'm a metro rail enthusiast, and this is an attempt to promote urban public transport. It took me a total of 2 hours, 41 minutes, and 31 seconds to travel across all stations on the Hyderabad metro rail network in a single marathon trip,” Shashank Manu told DH.

Shashank made this record attempt earlier this year, in January, and he had recently received the official communication from the Guiness world record team.

The Hyderabad Metro Rail network covers a total distance of around 69.2 km across three corridors: Miyapur to LB Nagar, JBS to MGBS, and Nagole to Raidurgam.

Hyderabad Metro Rail is an integrated urban transport development project with inter-modal connectivity and skywalks.

In his previous attempt, Shashank held the record for the 'Fastest Time to Visit All Delhi Metro Stations', which took him approximately 16 hours to achieve the crazy feat.

Shashank made the record attempt on January 15, since it was a public holiday, which allowed him to avoid the rush of office goers that would have made the task difficult.

Two independent witnesses accompanied Shashank during the record attempt, observing him throughout the journey and subsequently submitting their reports to Guinness, confirming adherence to all rules and guidelines.

And to legally stay within the metro network for a long duration, Sashank purchased the ‘Super Saver Holiday Card’ which allows unlimited rides on the Hyderabad metro network on particular days.

“Upon arriving at the final station, I felt a sense of relief as everything proceeded as expected. Later, I spent a couple of weeks organizing, uploading, and submitting all the evidence and proofs on the GWR portal. After a six-month wait with intermittent questioning, I finally received the much-awaited email from Guinness confirming my record attempt as an official Guinness World Record,” Shashank told DH.

Further, Shashank said that the reason behind attempting to break the record was twofold. “With this record, I aim to promote sustainable urban public transport, and at the same time, I would like to turn the spotlight on India’s world-class metro networks. This record is my attempt to persuade those living in India’s megacities to ditch their cars and go green by switching to public transport."

"I believe that one of the best ways to stay green is to go green on your commute, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. Not only is it a fantastic way to give back to the earth, it can even reduce your stress level by helping you save money on fuel costs, not to mention the headache of having to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And I’m not just preaching. I live in Delhi; I sold my car years ago, and ever since then I have been taking the metro for my daily commute,” added Shashank.

The most noticeable difference between the metro rail systems in Delhi and Hyderabad according to Shashank is that the Delhi network is significantly larger and busier. However small the Hyderabad metro is in size, it is equally advanced, efficient, and clean as the one in Delhi. Shashank found the Hyderabad metro particularly appealing because its entire network operates on elevated tracks, providing commuters with a view of the outside world. This contrasts with Delhi's subterranean track, which confines commuters to the darkness of the tunnel, he added.